STATESBORO, Ga. — Kayla Cleaveland hit her only basket of the game with 6.5 seconds remaining, lifting Georgia Southern to a 70-67 victory over Southern Miss at the Jack & Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center on Wednesday night.
Southern Miss (11-10, 4-6 Sun Belt) rallied from an 18-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game with 33 seconds left. Jakayla Johnson scored to tie the game at 67 before Cleaveland’s buzzer-beater sealed the Eagles’ 16th win of the season.
Georgia Southern (16-5, 9-2 Sun Belt) was led by Kisjyah Anderson, who scored 31 points on 14-of-22 shooting. She opened the game with a three-pointer and accounted for 11 first-quarter points, helping the Eagles build an early lead. Anderson also scored nine of Georgia Southern’s first 11 points of the game.
Southern Miss struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 10-of-31 from the field and 2-of-9 from three-point range, trailing 41-25 at halftime. The Lady Eagles mounted a second-half rally, outscoring Georgia Southern 42-29 after halftime, thanks in part to a strong shooting performance of 51.7% in the second half.
Carly Keats led Southern Miss with 21 points, including 18 after halftime. She scored 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, helping the Lady Eagles close the gap to one point late in the game. Timya Thurman added eight points, and Meloney Thames played all 40 minutes, finishing with 12 points.
Southern Miss had a chance to win in the final seconds but was unable to convert. Cleaveland’s game-winner came after a kick-out from the paint, with the Eagles holding on for the victory. The Lady Eagles will next face Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
Fans can support Southern Miss women’s basketball by purchasing season tickets for $75 at smttt.info/WBBTix. Follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.
